FIRST AMENDMENT TO
                      AMENDED AND RESTATED RIGHTS AGREEMENT

     Amendment,  dated as of January 19, 1998 (the  "Amendment"),  between USF&G
Corporation, a Maryland corporation (the "Company"), and The Bank of New York, a
New York corporation (the "Rights Agent").

     WHEREAS,  the Company  and the Rights  Agent are parties to the Amended and
Restated Rights Agreement dated as of March 11, 1997 (the "Agreement");

     WHEREAS, the Company has delivered an appropriate  certificate as described
in Section 26 of the Agreement; and


     WHEREAS,  pursuant  to Section 26 of the  Agreement,  the  Company  and the
Rights Agent desire to amend the Agreement as set forth below.

     NOW, THEREFORE,  in consideration of the premises and the mutual agreements
herein set forth, the parties hereby agree as follows:

     Section 1. Amendments to Section 1.

     (a)  Section  1(d)  of  the  Agreement   relating  to  the  definitions  of
"Beneficial  Owner" and "beneficially own" is amended by adding the following at
the end thereof:

     "Notwithstanding  anything  contained in this  Agreement  to the  contrary,
neither Parent or Merger Sub, nor any of their  Affiliates or Associates,  shall
be deemed to be the  Beneficial  Owner of, nor to  beneficially  own, any of the
Common  Shares of the Company  solely by virtue of the  approval,  execution  or
delivery of the Merger Agreement or the Option Agreement, the purchase of Common
Shares  pursuant to the Option  Agreement or the  consummation of the Merger and
the other  transactions  contemplated  by the  Merger  Agreement  and the Option
Agreement."

     (b) Section 1 of the  Agreement  is amended by adding the  following at the
end thereof:

     "(y) The following additional terms have the meanings indicated:

     "Merger"  shall mean the merger of Merger Sub with and into the  Company in
accordance  with the General  Corporation  Law of the State of Maryland upon the
terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement.

     "Merger Agreement" shall mean the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of
January  19,  1998,  by and  among  The St.  Paul  Companies,  Inc.,  SP  Merger
Corporation and USF&G Corporation."


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     "Merger Sub" shall mean SP Merger Corporation, a Maryland corporation.

     "Option Agreement" shall mean the Option Agreement, dated as of January 19,
1998, by and between The St. Paul Companies, Inc. and USF&G Corporation.

     "Parent" shall mean The St. Paul Companies, Inc., a Minnesota corporation.

     Section 2. Expiration Date.

     Section 7(a) of the Agreement is hereby  amended by replacing the word "or"
with a comma  immediately  prior to the symbol  "(iii)" and by adding to the end
thereof the following:

", or (iv) the time  immediately  prior to the Effective Time (as defined in the
Merger Agreement) of the Merger; whereupon the Rights shall expire."

     Section 3. New Section 35.

     The following is added as a new Section 35 to the Agreement:

     "Section 35. Parent Merger, etc.

     Notwithstanding  anything in this  Agreement to the  contrary,  none of the
approval, execution or delivery of the Merger Agreement or the Option Agreement,
the purchase of Common Shares solely  pursuant to the Option  Agreement,  or the
consummation of the Merger and the other transactions contemplated by the Merger
Agreement and the Option  Agreement  shall cause (i) Parent or Merger Sub or any
of their Affiliates or Associates to be deemed an Acquiring Person, (ii) a Share
Acquisition Date to occur, (iii) a Distribution Date to occur in accordance with
the terms hereof, which Distribution Date, if any, shall instead be indefinitely
deferred until such time as the Board of Directors may otherwise  determine,  or
(iv) a Triggering Event."

     Section 4. Severability.

     If any term,  provision,  covenant or restriction of this Amendment is held
by a court of competent  jurisdiction or other authority to be invalid,  void or
unenforceable,   the   remainder  of  the  terms,   provisions,   covenants  and
restrictions  of this Amendment  shall remain in full force and effect and shall
in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated.


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     Section 5. Governing Law.

     This Amendment  shall be deemed to be a contract made under the laws of the
State of Maryland  and for all  purposes  shall be governed by and  construed in
accordance  with the laws of such State  applicable to contracts  made and to be
performed entirely within such State.

     Section 6. Counterparts.

     This  Amendment may be executed in any number of  counterparts  and each of
such  counterparts  shall for all purposes be deemed to be an original,  and all
such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument.

     Section 7. Effect of Amendment.

     Except as expressly  modified  herein,  the Agreement  shall remain in full
force and effect.

     IN WITNESS  WHEREOF,  the parties  hereto have caused this  Amendment to be
duly executed and their  respective  corporate seals to be hereunto  affixed and
attested, all as of the day and year first above written.


Attest:                                     USF&G CORPORATION



/s/ John F. Hoffen                          /s/ Ronald Mishler
- ---------------------                       -------------------------------
By:    John F. Hoffen                       By:   Ronald Mishler
Title: Secretary                            Title:  Chief Financial Officer


 
Attest:                                     THE BANK OF NEW YORK



                                            /s/ Stephen M. Gilbert
- ------------------------                    ----------------------
By:                                         By:  Stephen M. Gilbert
Title:                                      Title: Assistant Treasurer
















   
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